Female Marginalization by Male Head of the Household and Mental Health Concomitants amongst Educated Women of Urban Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to investigate marginalization from male head of the household and mental health concomitants in a sample of educated women in Pakistan.

Methodology: The study is quantitative in nature and a questionnaire was completed by (n=200) women using purposive sampling. The mean age was 25.03 years (SD 5.76). The questionnaire included two scales for measuring marginalization and mental health concomitants.

Findings: The sample revealed significant levels of marginalization, with patriarchy and customs/traditions exerting greater influence than religious indoctrination or economic dependence. The most frequent patriarchal act was making unpleasant remarks, while traditional marginalization often involved restricting women from pursuing business studies. Women experiencing higher marginalization reported significantly greater anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive, and somatization symptoms. Patriarchal marginalization predicted anxiety, obsessive compulsive, and somatization symptoms, whereas traditional marginalization predicted depressive symptoms. Overall, marginalization by male household heads through patriarchy and tradition was strongly linked to adverse mental health outcomes.

Conclusion: This study concludes that there is significant female marginalization in elite households of Pakistan. Pakistani women are subject to mental health issues and psychological disorders due to patriarchal systems within their households regardless of socio-economic status. There is a need for the government to take strict actions against female marginalization and involve NGOs and international organizations to facilitate gender equality and security for women in their households. More importantly, similar studies on other South Asian countries can help in highlighting the severity of the issue internationally and collectively looking for solutions for coming generations.